


Lost Moon

by wispedheart



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: All OCs are secondary or minor, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Astrology, Character's Name Spelled as Viktor, Eventual Romance, Fantasy AU, Fluff, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Slow Burn, Sun/Moon Aspects, Supernatural Elements, Yin/Yang Aspects
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-09
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-02 21:15:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13326501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wispedheart/pseuds/wispedheart
Summary: It's been 500 years since the last Chosen has appeared. Usually, the arrival of a new pair of Chosen is a thing to celebrate, something anybody would be honored to be a part of.For Yuuri, it's his worst nightmare.





	1. Chosen One (1)

**Author's Note:**

> Posting Schedule! I don’t post a chapter until I’m at least 1k into the next one. My chapters tend to average between 2 and 3k, so essentially when I’m like a third to halfway into the next chapter, ish. This is so I don’t leave a lot of time between chapters, and so I have a chance to go back and edit small things. Plus, it leaves a space of time between finishing the chapter and posting that allows me to forget the chapter a little bit. I reread and edit right before I post, so it helps me catch any fuck-ups lying about.  
> All the same though, feel free to call me out on any fuck-ups I miss despite checking like 3 times. I deserve it at that point, lol.  
> Wanna see me babble and scream about my writing endlessly? You can find me on Tumblr as [wispedheart](http://wispedheart.tumblr.com/) as well.
> 
> Always welcome to the idea of a beta. Contact me if you're interested.

“Thousands of years ago, our land was in war. Our peoples were not united, as we are now. You were not my brother,” the speaker paused, lifting their hand to gesture to a young boy at the front of the audience. The boy’s eyes widened, his small fingers tightening around his sister’s. “And you,” the speaker continued, swinging his hand to a young girl on the other side of the audience. “You, little lady, were not my sister.”

A dramatic pause followed before the man, the speaker, swung about again, the resplendent purple robes he wore swirling around him in a mesmerizing wave. “We were enemies,” he continued. “Each convinced our side was the correct one, that we were opposites, and not simply two sides of the same coin. We let our hatred rule use - rather than our love for all, the love that the sun and the moon both teach us – guide our actions. Our protectors, our loving, burning Solntse,” His hand now swung to the horizon, where the sun hung in balance, just peaking over the horizon half-asleep. “Or our healing, shining Tsuki,” Another swing of his hand, and eyes were brought to the full moon, shining just above the horizon, prepared to take over the sun and provide light to the night. “Saw this turmoil, saw the war, the anger, and the misguided hatred for one another. Peace was their yearning, and so that year, what we know now as year zero, the first Chosen came to be. Their tattoos, shining with the light of the deity they so loved, provided the mark of proof and the power they needed to bring their worlds together, to bring peace to our society. It was they who worked tirelessly to bring us all together, to build our kingdom of Mirkai and all our cities, from Ophiuchus to Aries, to our lovely Pisces, and all their accompanying towers of Solntse and Tsuki.”

“Our society was small, but once peace came, we began to grow. Years passed, and soon our Chosen began to realize that they- unlike their neighbors – were not aging. That they were blessed, destined for the duty of caring for their home. 500 years passed, and two more Chosen finally appeared. They joined the current protectors in their duty. From here, a tradition reigned. Every 500 years, our Solntse and our Tsuki each chose a new protector. It was not until the year 2500 that the circle was complete, though with the completion came a price.”

“Our neighboring kingdoms, Scylla and Cacus, had long disliked our peace, our love, for one another. Those who visit say their societies are driven by hate, that Scylla sells their people like goods in a stall, and Cacus is the home of thieves and liars. And so we stay within our borders, where all are equal, and all are loved.”

A cheer followed his words, replacing the jeering that appeared at the names of their neighboring societies. The young boy first mentioned looked about in surprise, scooting closer to his sister. He’d heard of both of the kingdoms, but his mother had always told him the people within were simply misguided. That their lack of love for one another was what led to the hatred. Not that they were evil by nature. Perhaps the storyteller had simply been taught wrong. The boy’s thoughts were interrupted, however, when the speaker continued, the volume of his voice eventually able to rise over the crowd slow descent into a respectful silence.

“In the year 2500, however, we were no longer able to stay within our borders. Scylla and Cacus joined together despite their dislike for one another and attacked our borders, and our two oldest Chosen, having recently stepped down for the two newest, were forced to retake the mantle, and fight off the attackers. Today, however, we go not into the details of war. There are little ears present, after all. It came and passed, as I’m sure you all know, and in it, we lost those Chosen who only wished to live out the rest of their days in peace. Those remaining chose to tutor the newest pair as a group, and together these new 12 came together to write our Books of Sun and Moon, to record the wisdom of their generation before it could be lost, as those before them were. It is from there we learn how to make our amulets. It is from there we learn about the Chosen, and their familiars, and their abilities. It is from there we learn that there must always be twelve, and within this twelve there must always be a balance. For without a balance, a chaos like that of the wars of Cacus and Scylla reign.”

“I drone, do I not? I’m sure you all know the stories. But this year, my brothers and sisters, this year is a special year. For it has been _ten thousand years!_ ”

Another roar rose in the audience, loud enough that the young boy’s hands came up to clap over his ears. His sister patted his shoulder, reaching around to his chest to bring his hands to his amulet. He took it obediently, his eyes falling to take in the lunar symbol on the front. Above them, the speaker roamed the stage, urging on the cheers. Soon, however, he brought the audience to a silence once more.

“Ten thousand years,” he repeated. “A year of celebration, and time for another pair of Chosen to take their own seats in the Council of Twelve. And who shall it be, you wonder? Well, so do I! Time will only tell, yes? But as I’ve said before, I drone. And so, citizens of Pisces, of Mirkai, welcome to the year 10000’s First Moon Festival!”

The cheering drowned out all opposing noise for the first time that night, but a tugging on the boy’s sleeve caught his attention instead this time. The girl that the storyteller had first pointed at smiled at him, eyes bright, hair messy from her no-doubt tumultuous journey through the crowd. “Yuuri!” she said, though her voice was lost in the sound. Another boy broke through the crowd behind her, looking uncomfortable. Yuuri didn’t blame him. If he and Takeshi had ever had anything in common, it was ice skating and their hatred of crowded places. Smiling back at Yuuko, Yuuri turned his gaze to his sister expectantly. Mari looked them over and then nodded, taking hold of her brother’s fingers and dragging them all from the crowd in a line. The crowd parted around her, some smiling at them in recognition. The Katsuki’s Yu-topia was well-known around town, but Mari’s skill with breaking up drunken fights even more famous, even at the young age of 16. Her skill in neutralizing the lunar and solar abilities of others was usually more than enough to get any spats to fall flat. Their mother liked to say she could go far if she wanted to. Yuuri was inclined to agree. He could only hope that whatever power he manifested was as useful as his sister’s. However, he was only 10. Most people’s abilities arose at 12, so he still had a while to wait.

Mari led them to an empty spot behind a vendor’s stall. The stall itself was resplendent, covered with knitted and crocheted objects of every size, shape, and color. The old man inside smiled and gave them a wave, but otherwise kept his attention on those interested in his wares. He’d once told Yuuri that he’d taken over his wife’s knitted stall when she died, as an attempt to keep her living. These days, his creations were well-made and sought after, but Yuuri still had the lumpy hat he’d bought the first year when the old man was still learning, and his grief was new. It was on his ears now, just as it had been every year since. He liked to think it made the man happy.

“Everybody here?” Mari asked, looking at the trio with a smirk. The children all nodded. “Good. I have to get back to Yu-topia soon, so you guys look after each other. Yuuko, you’re the only one with an ability, so I expect you to keep the boys in line, got it?”

Yuuko hummed in affirmative, looking proud of herself. She was only eleven, and ever excited that she’d gained an ability a year earlier than normal. She liked to say it wasn’t too useful, but Yuuri thought that being able to share your emotions with others was useful. Perhaps not if it was him, but Yuuko was always so happy and warm. Takeshi, despite being 10 just like Yuuri and nowhere near gaining an ability, looked just as proud as Yuuko, a bright smile covering his face.

“Good,” Mari nodded to them. “Bye then,” she reached out to ruffle Yuuri’s hair and then scooted out from behind the stall, giving the old man a wave.

“Bye!” The three called in return, then bunched into a circle, each body vibrating with excitement. It was the first year they’d been left alone during a festival, and hopefully not the last.

“So what do you guys want to do first?” Yuuko asked.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

The First Moon Festival was known for its expansive nature – it was more of a giant garage sale than anything else. Many stalls sold food as well, and a few offered games for the children that ran about. They knocked through the games quickly and spent much of the rest of the time stuffing their faces and looking at the wares. Yuuri even used what leftover pocket change he had to buy a small charm for his mother. The bracelet’s charm was round in shape and seemed to hold some herb inside that had a soothing smell to it. As always, it wasn’t more than a few hours before they found themselves migrating to the ice rink. It was just as packed as it had been when the festival started, though the crowd decreased as the night grew old. Yuuri managed to make himself a bubble of sorts in the corner, free from the crush of people and the clumsiness of those new to skating. There, he spent most of the night.

The moon was high in the sky by the time the trio came to the end of their stamina. Yuuko and Takeshi chatted on the edge of the ice rink while Yuuri continued his endless circles, worry settled low in his gut. A couple of hours ago, a burning sensation had started in the center of his chest. It had been soft at first, barely noticeable, but now it was beginning to become uncomfortable. Perhaps it was something he ate? He’d tried lots of food over the course of the night, he wouldn’t be surprised if at least one didn’t agree with him.

However, the pain was in his chest, which made him worry it was something entirely different – and worse.  Was it a heart attack of some sort? Heartburn? Was he suffocating? Did he fall wrong when he missed that loop earlier? His mother complained of acid reflux at times, did he have that?

As if in response to his worry, the pain spiked, pulling the air from his lungs and leaving him gasping. Fear clenched his stomach and he reached up to grip his chest, sliding to a stop with a sharp spray of ice.

“Yuuri! It’s time to charge the amulets!” Yuuko called, oblivious to his pain until she was close enough to see his face. “Oh,” she said, leaning down and tipping her head to the side. “Are you okay, Yuuri?”

He could feel the panic rising, threatening to take over. Unable to speak, he nodded, scrambling to squeeze his amulet and ignoring the dig of the clasp against his palm. He should have stayed home. He should have known something bad was going to happen. He should have left as soon as he felt the first twinge of pain. He should have –

His mind went blank. For a moment, that scared him even more, but then that fear went away too, diminishing to a small level of concern. It felt as though warm water had been poured over his head, washing the cold terror away in a river. For a moment, he was unsure where it’d come from. Then his slowed mind comprehended the warmth of Yuuko’s hand against his own and the dim glow of her amulet against her chest. Yuuri wasn’t sure why he hadn’t realized it sooner. Yuuko’s ability could stop panic attacks dead in their tracks. It had been an accidental discovery, back in the first month since she’d gained an ability, but since then she’d never hesitated to use it when she needed to.

Yuuko kept hold of his hand until his breathing slowed to normal and then released it. A bright smile took over her face as if nothing had happened. “Better?”

Plastering a smile on his face, Yuuri nodded. “Yes, thank you. I think I’ll go charge my amulet at home, though. I’m getting a little bit tired.” That was a good excuse. He was always tired after attacks. Without waiting for an answer, he began to skate towards the edge of the rink. Yuuko let him go, though he didn’t fail to notice the sympathy etched into her features. The pity. If there was one thing he disliked about Yuuko, it was when she pitied him. She didn’t intend anything by it, but it made him feel weak. It made it harder to believe he wasn’t.

“Sleep well, Yuuri!” she called, and he resisted the urge to flinch at her volume. Takeshi was watching him now, attention caught by Yuuko’s call.

“You heading home already, Yuuri?” he asked, looking up from where he was slipping his skates off of his feet.

“Y-yeah,” Yuuri said, sitting down only long enough to yank his skates off and replace them with his tennis shoes. “I’m tired, and it’s pretty late anyway.”

Takeshi shrugged. “Whatever you want. Sleep well.”

Yuuri nodded, struggling to take normal breaths while he knotted the laces on his shoes. As soon as he was done he was up and off, pausing only to slip his skates into his locker.

By the time he was out of the door he was running, and he didn’t stop until the onsen was in sight. He slowed to a walk, panting until his breath returned. The onsen itself was packed; many of the older townsfolk chose it as their relaxation spot during the evening and tonight was no different. The number of people made it easy for Yuuri to slip by, however, pretending not to have heard his mother calling him to come drink some amazake.

Once he was out of view of others, he broke into a run once more, scurrying into his room and slamming the door shut behind him. The pain was as bright as the sun, like the skin itself was burning off of his bones. Fingers scrabbling, he grabbed his amulet and yanked it over his head, just managing to set it gently on his bed. His jacket and shirt soon followed, the knit hat dislodged in the process. Thankfully, his glasses were knocked only slightly askew. He centered himself in front of the mirror that hung on his closet door. The light of the moon through the open curtains hit both his skin and his amulet, the metal shining in such a way that it blocked his sight for a moment, causing him to squint and dodge the ray.

When his vision _did_ clear, he immediately began to wish it hadn’t.

Where the skin was usually pale and smooth lay a silvery pattern. The skin around it was red as if had been burned. It shimmered in the light, seeming to glow with an energy of its own. It was undeniably a piece of magic, which explained the pain he’d felt perfectly. The pattern was one Yuuri recognized well. He saw it every night, it even rested on the back of his amulet. He knew all of the marks of the moon and had ever since he’d chosen it. The Tsuki were worshipers of the moon, just as the Solntse were worshipers of the sun. To hold the very _image_ of the moon itself on your body, however, meant something entirely different than worship. It explained why the pain had gone away as soon as he’d removed his shirt, as soon as the light of the moon had touched the mark.

Yuuri had been Chosen.


	2. The Temple of Sun and Moon

Slapping his hands over the mark, Yuuri backed up rapidly until he hit the desk. His eyes stayed locked on the reflection, on the brand burned into his skin. Even with both hands over it, he could still see the shimmer it gave off.

“Nononononono,” he rasped, scrubbing at the skin with his nails until it was red. The mark, however, remained the same bright silver as before. Yuuri wasn’t sure how this could be happening. It _had_ to be a joke. Mari put a fake tattoo on him while he was sleeping. He couldn’t be a Chosen. Chosen were protectors, fighters, diplomats. They were charismatic and unbreakable and _not somebody like him._ Yuuri wasn’t a leader. He could barely keep control over his own mind. How was he supposed to help others when he struggled so much to help himself?

This whole thing had to be a joke of some sort. Perhaps it was a mistake. Even if it was a Chosen’s mark, the Moon must have thought he was somebody else, somebody better.

The sound of feet padding up the stairs caught his attention, and Yuuri froze. Quickly, he scrambled to his bed, pulling the shirt and locket back over his head. Part of him feared that the pain would come back as soon as the mark was covered, but it was a needless worry. Just one touch of the moon seemed to have fixed whatever the base of it was. Yuuri wasn’t sure whether that fact was comforting or nauseating.

A knock came from the door just as the locket settled on his chest.  Despite himself, he jerked in surprise.

“Yuuri?” His mother called before he could. “I saved some amazake for you in the kitchen. Do you want any?”

Did he want amazake? He wasn’t sure there was a time when he _wouldn’t_ want amazake, but going down there… He could think of so many things that could go wrong, so many ways somebody could find out. No, he needed to stay here, where it was safe. At the very least until morning, when all the adults would be at home sleeping off the alcohol.

“I’m fine!” he called back, perhaps a few seconds too late. “It’s really late, so I was just going to sleep.” His mother would believe that. The clock on his bedside table read nearly 3 A.M. Even if it was a full Moon night, and he was a Tsukijin, Yuuri still needed to sleep.

Silence met him for a moment. Yuuri held his breath. Had his mother seen through his ruse? Hiroko, however, was just as sweet and accepting as ever. She’d never pried into her children’s business unless she felt it was going to directly affect their health, and she wasn’t about to start now. “Alright, Yuuri. Sleep well, sweetheart. I hope you had a good time at the Festival.”

_I’m worried something happened at the Festival that made you this reclusive,_ is what that translated to. Yuuri knew she was just concerned, but he wasn’t about to speak on it. He couldn’t disappoint them. His family would have a much different opinion about this than his own. “Good night,” he called back. His mother waited a few moments in obvious hope for more information, then her steps retreated back down the hall and out of hearing range. Yuuri heaved a sigh of relief.  

Moving to his closet - steadfastly ignoring the mirror this time - Yuuri changed for the third time that night, now into his usual pajamas. He’d have to figure out what to do tomorrow. The combination of the time and his rush home _had_ left him tired. That part at least hadn’t been a lie. Perhaps the moon would send him a dream of some sort, to tell him what to do. He’d heard of that happening to others on occasion.

After climbing into bed it didn’t take him long to drift off, cocooned in warm blankets and the soft glow from his window.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

Morning came well past noon, and even so, Yuuri groaned when a knock on his door woke him.

“Squirt, time to get up. I need you to help me with a few chores.”

Mari handled mornings much better than the rest of the Katsuki’s. His father liked to joke it was from her short stint in Solntse. Yuuri was inclined to agree. He’d never understood how Solntsekiy could rise so early and survive the rest of the day. If he got up before 11 he rose as a new species of zombie.

“Coming,” he groaned, rolling over and glancing at his clock. 1 P.M., he realized in surprise. She’d let him sleep in. Usually, Mari was at his door by 12 or earlier. Was she being kinder than usual for a reason? Or had she slept in as well?

 His anxiety offered up the idea that she’d figured out about his mark. The memory of the mark pulled another groan out of him. Flopping onto his back, he picked at the edge of his collar, lifting it just enough to peek underneath.

The mark still lay on his chest, though the glow had noticeably disappeared. It was only visible due to the obvious white discoloration of his skin. In fact, it looked weird from this angle, like somebody had taken a paintbrush and dashed white haphazardly over his skin. Did it only glow at night or something?

Mari seemed to have left him be, but he knew it wouldn’t stay that way for long. Mari was a patient person, but she wouldn’t let him forget it for weeks if he missed doing his chores. Disentangling himself from the blankets, Yuuri pushed himself to his feet and quickly changed into a red jinbae. His mother preferred that he wore it while doing work for the inn. The guilt for his behavior last night assured that he did so.

His journey downstairs proved him right on his task for the midday. One of the three pools was shut down for cleaning. The water was diverted and Mari had already gotten started, sleeves and pant legs rolled far up. She gave him a lopsided smile when he appeared, lifting a hand off of the scrub to gesture to his head. “You forgot to brush your hair, porcupine.”

Biting off a small curse (Mari would kill him for sure if he cursed), Yuuri flattened his hair as best he could before rolling his clothing in a similar fashion to Mari’s. “Are we just doing this one today?” he asked. They tended to wash each one every few days. Sometimes, they washed them more often, especially after big events like last night.

“Yep, thankfully,” Mari replied, reaching down to toss him the extra brush. “Not many people were in the onsen after about 1 or so. Most of them were inside drinking. Lucky for me now, not so lucky for me last night. I had to stop like 3 drunken brawls.”  

Yuuri scrunched his nose up sympathetically. “Was it Old Man Handu again?” he asked, starting to the left of where Mari’d began and working his way in the opposite direction. They’d meet on the opposite side. Well, at least opposite-ish. Mari always had worked faster than him when it came to pool cleaning.

“You say that like it’s ever _not_ Old Man Handu. If he wasn’t so sweet while he was sober, I’m pretty sure Papa would’ve banned him from the onsen by now,” Mari’s tone had a slight growl to it as she attacked the sides of the pool. Others could say what they liked about cleaning the pools, Yuuri thought it was a great way to get rid of anger. Too bad he wasn’t angry today. Just scared.

He nodded even though Mari wasn’t looking, putting his back into the scrubbing and allowing himself to fall into his thoughts. The moon hadn’t sent him a dream last night, he was sure of it. Was it mad that he didn’t want to be Chosen? He’d never heard of the Moon getting angry, but the texts liked to say that they’d all come from the Sun and the Moon. So, if he could get angry, the Moon could get angry too…. Right?

Even if the Moon wasn’t mad at him, he needed to find a way to ask it to release him from the mark.

Where did one go when they needed to connect with the Sun or Moon?

Well, at least the answer to _that_ question was one he knew.

The chore itself passed slowly, especially now that he had an idea in his mind. He wouldn’t be able to put it into motion until night had fallen, but now he was impatient, as children tend to be. It took them about an hour in total to clean the pool, after which came folding clean towels and robes, helping in the kitchens, and sweeping out the ballroom that had been used as an extra lounge area the night before. By the end of it all, it was time for dinner, and Yuuri found himself no closer to the temple. He found himself thinking more about food, in fact. He should have grabbed something to eat before starting to clean the pool.

Dinner (or late lunch, as many Tsukijin tended to joke) was a quick affair. The Solntsekiy were starting to disappear into their homes, but it was only about midday for the Tsukijin. The small break in-between the groups was the only true chance to sit down. As such, many of the Katsuki’s tended to rotate on having a light meal. After Yuuri had scarfed down some of the kenchin that his mother had made for the day’s soup, he approached his mother.

“Do you need me to do any more work?” he asked, keeping his back against the wall in an attempt to keep out of the way while she worked. His mother in the kitchen was a whirlwind and not one that was fun to pass your hand through to watch it dissipate.

Hiroko smiled and glanced his direction before continuing her work. They were running low on rice – the worst thing to run low on, in Yuuri’s opinion. Other than katsudon, but he only got that on special occasions. “Did you want to go somewhere today, Yuuri?” she asked, stirring the rice about to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

“I was going to go to the temple,” he admitted, unwilling to lie to his mother any more than he had. The worry about the mark had begun to buzz in his head again, and Yuuri didn’t want to add to it by providing more proof about how much of a terrible person he was. “I didn’t charge my locket last night, and I haven’t been there for a while.”

It wasn’t a lie per say. The last he’d been to the temple was on New Year’s Day, which was nearly two weeks ago by now. That was like… forever. Plus, he’d charged his locket the day before yesterday, but had the mark been drawing from it with its glow? Lockets were meant to provide a connection to the Sun or Moon, to create a link through which they could draw magic for their abilities. The mark had to be magic, of some sort. If the mark had been drawing from the locket…

A sinking sensation came through his stomach, followed by the familiar chill of fear. Quickly he grabbed the locket from his chest and clicked it open, revealing the moonstone nestled inside. Thankfully, the stone wasn’t dead. But it wasn’t the same as it usually was, either. Where the stone was usually a beautiful blueish-silver tint there lay an iridescent sheen as if the stone had been left out all night long. In fact, rather than dulling, the moonstone shone like it was its own small version of the Moon. It was as if the two days on only a few minutes of moonlight hadn’t affected it at all.

Quickly, Yuuri snapped the locket shut once more. He shot a glance around himself to be sure nobody had seen. His mother was the only one in the room other than him, and she’d moved on from rice to dashi, apparently mulling over the decision to let him free. That, or trying to remember if he’d completed her mental list of chores. He was safe.

“You can go. Be safe, Yuuri. Make sure to bow properly to the temple’s keeper.”

“Yes ma’am,” he replied dutifully. As if to prove he could do it, he bowed and muttered a quick apology before leaving the room and snaking his way out of the inn. His father waved to him as he passed. The street outside was quiet other than a runner and the old woman from down the road taking a walk with a small dog by her side. The dog was unleashed, as many animals tended to be in Pisces. With so many animal communicators and empaths and even a shapeshifter or two, the behavior and feelings of any creature weren’t hard to catch a hold of. In fact, it was only the size of the town that allowed Yuuri to know that the dog was actually a dog and not her friend or significant other. In fact, Mrs. Ueda owned the pet center a few blocks down. She didn’t have a companion, as far as Yuuri knew, but her ability was talking to animals, so she spent a lot of time caring for lost or homeless creatures.

Putting his head down, Yuuri began his trek to the temple, hoping the woman wouldn’t notice him. Luck seemed to smile in a strange way. The woman didn’t notice him, but her dog did. The small creature perked its ears up as he passed and paused, watching him go by. It wasn’t until he’d nearly passed that the dog barked and bounded after him, tail wagging wildly.

“What is it, dear?” The woman asked, turning back towards her companion. The dog ignored her, circling Yuuri happily. After a few turns, it stopped and sat, looking at him expectantly. Yuuri watched it with worry, unsure what was happening. Dogs didn’t usually behave like this around him. Was he supposed to say something? _Do_ something? The creature was certainly cute, he’d never seen a dog with such curly hair.

 The woman had turned and toddled back towards them, a peaceful smile on her face. “Is that a little Katsuki I see?” she asked, pulling up a pair of glasses from around her neck and perching them on her nose. “Ah, it is! Yanni, isn’t it?”

“It’s Yuuri, ma’am,” Yuuri replied softly, but the woman paid him no mind.

“My newest friend seems to have taken a liking to you! He showed up just yesterday morning, looking all sorts of scuffed and dirty. Looks much better now that he’s had a bath, though. He hasn’t been fond of anybody that came in today. You must be a very good boy if he’s taken a liking to you!”

The dog’s tail wagged in agreement. He rose up on his hind legs, settling his paws against Yuuri’s side and pressing his icy nose to his cheek. A face flashed suddenly behind his eyelids, shocking in its familiarity. Not quite as shocking as the fact that it was a _dog_ that had sent him the image, however. Eyes widening, Yuuri jerked away. The dog landed back on all fours, tipping his head to the side in confusion.

“Listen to whatever our friend is telling you, little zoolinguialist. He seems special for such a little creature. Been telling me he’s looking for something all day long. Might see us later if you’re involved,” Mrs. Ueda winked and motioned for the dog to follow her. It gave Yuuri a final wag of its tail and trotted away after the woman.

Why was a dog speaking to him? He wasn’t a zoolingualist, he’d never been able to speak to animals. And why would the dog show him a picture of _Minako Okukawa_ of all people? Minako was a Chosen, though he wasn’t sure if she was one of the oldest or not. She always looked so young when she came to visit. She’d been born in Pisces, apparently, and was fond of visiting the town and sub-sequentially, the Katsukis. At least, his family’s inn, that was.

Shaking his head, Yuuri fiddled with his locket, turning back in the direction of the temple. It was probably nothing. Maybe the dog mistook him for somebody else. Dogs were colorblind, right? That must be it.

Yuuri pushed away any opposing doubt, holding the locket close to his chest as he made the rest of his way towards the temple. It wasn’t far- no more than a ten or fifteen-minute walk.

The building itself was along the coast, as it tended to be for all three of Mirkai’s coastal towns. As all the temples were, it was ancient, decorated with hundreds of old runes and pictographs that, today, you’d only find in the Book of Sun and Moon. The architecture was an elegant splash of traditional Solntse and Tsuki architecture, from Tsuki’s sturdy structure and fondness for flat lines to Solntse’s preference for high towers and arched doorways. The front of the building itself had a triangular panel along the roof split down the middle, complete with the artwork of a moonlit sky composed next to that of a sunny day. The inside was long, comprised of a single floor save for the two sky-reaching towers that framed either side of the temple. Everything was calm in color, shades of gray and gentle reds and blues. Decorations weren’t frequent save for the center dais, where Pisces’ copy of the Book of Sun and Moon lay open, offered for anybody who wished to read it. The original lay in Ophiuchus’ temple, but all cities had a Book of their own and had since the temples were first built. Yuuri’s teachers had told them it was part of their original function. 

The back of the temple was split, for the first time straying off into areas that were securely dedicated to each deity. The Moon lay to the left, while the Sun was on the right. Yuuri usually went left. Sometimes he went to the right with his mother. She’d always said it was important to acknowledge the Sun as well, even if the Moon was their chosen.

Today, however, Yuuri spared little more than a bow in its direction in addition to the one he’d given the temple’s keeper. The wizened old man had simply smiled in return before returning to his work. All the better for Yuuri. He wasn’t sure he could answer any more questions. He swept down the Moon’s corridor, barely blinking at the runes he’d seen a thousand times or more. Interest in the Moon’s history was at the bottom of his list at the moment. Anticipation kept him moving, desperate hope that the Moon would listen to his prayer.

As he came to the end of the corridor, the room opened up. Here, the artistry became more extravagant, decorated with diagrams and murals from ages past. The phases of the moon decorated all sides of the circular area, only interrupted by the passageway that led inside. Every constellation in the sky could be found scattered around them, Pisces finding prominence in the moonstones that decorated the floor, outlining the Fishes’ grandeur.

Yuuri entered the room underneath the new moon, glancing up habitually at the picture on the wall above him. The air cooled as he entered, the tower open to the sky from far above. His steps acquired a slower pace as he turned his gaze to the floor, taking care not to step on any of the moonstones or the lines that connected them. It would cause bad luck, and he didn’t need any more than he already had. So Yuuri tiptoed his way to the center, where the largest moonstone lay shining on a dais.

The Capstone, or Centerstone, as some called it, was the stone from which all Piscean lockets came, including his own. The pieces simply fell from one of its many parts after a child had been born. The temple Keeper’s task was to bring it to the town’s metalworker, who would turn it into a locket. Lockets were blank when you were born, but were inscribed upon later on, when a child had chosen the Moon or the Sun. It was inscribed again when your power came, the symbol for which became the back of the locket.

            Yuuri looked down at his own locket, the metal of which was bright despite the amount of time he spent holding it in his hands. It was normal, as far as lockets went, inscribed with the image of the moon on the front, the phases surrounding it. If you looked close, you would see a fish on the clasp. The back, however, was blank. Yuuri had no ability, after all.

            Approaching the stone, Yuuri looked up, blinking at the twinkle of stars that met him far above. A sense of calm came over him as if nothing wrong could affect him while he was in this room. The temple seemed to always have that effect. To all citizens of Mirkai, no matter where you came from or who you’d chosen, the temples felt like home, like love.

            Whether it would stay that way depended on the Moon’s answer.

            Yuuri waited by the Capstone for a few minutes, double checking that he was alone. Nobody entered the room after him. When the moon finally came within view of the top of the tower and its light spilled in, he began. It wasn’t perfect. A perfect night would mean the moon was directly above, and the Capstone was glowing with its light. But perfect nights were rare. Such occasions were a different sort of happenstance.

            Once the light had touched the walls, the Capstone began to glow brighter, almost as if aware of his presence, of his intentions. Hands shaking, Yuuri heaved a deep breath and plucked the locket off of his chest, flicking it open. Normal people didn’t do this. Not without good reason. To do so was the greatest offense against both the Moon and the Sun. To double it, he was practically here to insult the being he’d followed his entire life. To tell it that it was wrong, that its decision needed to be changed.

            Perhaps the Moon would be in a good mood.

            The moonstone inside his locket was beaming, its radiance levels above what it had been in his kitchen. The presence of both the Moon and the Capstone were resonating with it, multiplying the power it held. Yuuri looked back and forth between it and the Capstone, heaving a deep breath. Usually, at this point, you’d hold your stone to the sky, allow it to absorb the energy. If you were lucky, the Moon would send you a message, something to do with your current life, or your current problems. The _Moon_ reached out. Not the person. Yuuri wasn’t even sure this would work, that the Moon would answer.

            Tossing about for time before he surely ruined his own life, Yuuri checked the tunnel again. Nobody was there, lights making the entire way down visible. Turning back to the Capstone, he closed his eyes, holding his locket out towards the stone. Just as he’d been taught in school, Yuuri gathered up the energy inside of him, focusing all he could on making the stone brighter. He began to shift his focus, bit by bit, onto his problem. It was deceptively easy to keep the stone bright, despite having failed on several attempts of it in school.

            Now he just had to say what he meant.

            “Uhm,” he began and winced at his own tone, high with obvious fear. He sounded like a child. The magnitude of what he was doing made him feel like one. “La Luna,” he began, using an old name for the Moon, a more formal way of addressing it. “I know it isn’t often that requests are granted. But I came to ask you to grant mine.”

            Had Yuuri’s eyes been open, he would have seen the Capstone and his locket pulse in unison, like an answer to his words. Their color lightened, and a presence seemed to come over the room. The pressure of the air increased like the world had been plunged into deep water. Instinctively, Yuuri took a couple of deep breaths, hoping his hands weren’t shaking quite as much as he felt they were. Hands still forward, Yuuri bowed deeply.

            “I-I ask that you remove the mark you’ve put on me,” he began. Before he could continue, a sense of deep confusion rushed through him. Somehow, it was clear that it wasn’t his own. Displeasure followed it, and frantically, Yuuri bowed again, this time staying in the leaned position. He was highly aware that he was speaking to somebody who could kill him with little to no effort. That knowledge left him weak in the knees.

            “I don’t mean to be rude,” he continued. “But… But you must have chosen wrong. I can’t be a Chosen.”

            The displeasure eased only slightly, and the confusion pressed forward again as if asking him for an explanation. Behind it all was a sense of fondness, and it was only that final emotion that gave Yuuri the courage to continue. The fondness reminded him of his own mother, like an embrace. The light on his locket flickered slightly, the energy of keeping it lit so brightly draining him. He had to be quick.

            “I have anxiety,” he began again, gulping in an attempt to get rid of the dryness in his throat. “I-I’d get attacks during important events, and besides that, I’m not good at anything besides skating, a-and skating is only useful in battle if I kick somebody in the face. I-I’ll just fail and disappoint you, and my family, and my country, and surely there’s somebody better to help you, _anybody,_ I-“

            Yuuri’s mouth clipped shut, and not of his own accord. The confusion disappeared, replacing itself with the assurance that he was wrong. That same motherly warmth grew as if attempting to comfort him. Tears dripped down his cheeks, though Yuuri wasn’t even sure when he began crying.

            The presence seemed to wrap around him, and a focus came to the center of his forehead. Just as had happened with the dog, images began to flash behind his eyelids. The dog from before came first, quickly followed by Minako once more. A boy with silver hair, ice-like in beauty and water-like in grace. His mother, his sister, his father, all smiling. A long-haired man with tired eyes and… interesting eyebrows. A boy with dark eyes and what could only be described as a mischievous grin. Another silver-haired man, similar in appearance to the first one, so similar they could be family. _Guide,_ he was told with a sense of certainty, as if showing him random faces would solve his turmoil. _Chosen are not alone._

            The presence started to fade and Yuuri attempted to grasp it frantically. He coiled his leftover energy up inside him, reaching it out like a third arm.

            “No, no, _please!”_ he begged, even as the presence slipped through his energy like sand through his fingers. Desperate, he came out of his bow, eyes bursting open as he reached for the Capstone, resting his free hand on its smooth surface.

            A final sense of warmth came over him, then it all dissipated. The locket flickered back to its usual brightness, the energy supporting it gone. The Capstone faded as well, returning the room to its regular appearance. What had seemed so light-filled before now seemed like night itself, ready to swallow him up at its own slight inclination. Yuuri swayed on his feet, the sudden loss of energy hitting him like a brick wall. He fell to his knees, and then to the floor. He’d been denied. He was stuck as a Chosen, destined to fail. Black seemed to swirl over his vision, pulling air from his lungs, color from his surroundings… the pressure returned momentarily, like a brief press against his spine, and he lost hold of it all, sending his mind into the void. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Random Lore Info:   
> Tsukijin tend to stay up later, simply because being around the moon is soothing to them. As such, you’ll generally see Solntsekiy up around sunrise, and in bed around sunset. Tsukijin often won’t rise until about noon or later, and are often up until at least one A.M. For full moons it’s often later, as Tsukijin tend to celebrate full moons. The first full moon of the year is even more of a celebration, which is why even little Yuuri wasn’t in bed until 3 AM.  
> If you’re old enough to have a job, like me, your first thought was probably “how does that work for work?” Yes, the jobs tend to mirror times for each deity’s followers. You’ll find Solntsekiy mostly working those coffee shop morning shifts, and Tsukijin working nearly all of the nightlife. That isn’t to say finding a Solntsekiy at a club is something off or different. They’ll just probably leave the club before the average Tsukijin.  
> Families! Families tend to choose the same diety. Some families hold it to a point of pride, and others just let their children stray as they will. Hiroko and Toshiya let their children choose as they wanted, but they ended up with two Tsukijin anyway. Mari did have a small stint as a Solntsekiy, but she found that she preferred the moon’s path.   
> I spend way too much time on lore I know. It’s entertaining to me, lol.   
> As for actual info, please let me know if you think my characterization of Yuuri is off. I am trying really hard to make sure he’s not framed as weak or worthless, but also keeping his voice in. Yuuri isn’t a weak person. He’s stubborn, determined, and yes, he has a bit of a soft heart, but he’s not weak, and I don’t want that coming through in my work at all. His anxiety makes him feel weak, but as we all know, Yuuri is an unreliable narrator to a T.   
> Kenchin, or kenchinjiru is a vegetable soup of sorts. Like amazake, it’s very yummy. It’s pretty light in flavor, in my opinion. It’s actually a vegetarian soup if you’re into such things. It’d be a nice idea to try out!  
> I made a pianist joke, let’s see if you catch it.   
> And Yay! First fuck up! I realized that my amulets were actually lockets and so I had to change the word from amulet to locket in my entire document it was so much fun    
> Sarcasm doesn’t translate well to text.  
> Anyway, keep in mind that the lockets are the same thing as the amulets you read about in the first chapter.


	3. Thought

Yuuri came to with a hand upon his shoulder, and green eyes looking concernedly into his own. “Yuuri? Yuuri, are you alright?”

His mind was mulled, focus drawing in and out like the camera lens one a small child had gotten hold of it. He wasn’t sure who was calling him; their face was too blurry to make out. Were his glasses gone? It didn’t matter, he supposed. Yuuri wanted to sleep. His chest itched, but he was too tired to scratch it.

 “It’ll be alright,” the voice came again, seeming to answer their own question. “Come on, let’s get you home.” Arms came around him, and he found himself slipping away once more.

 

The next time Yuuri came to was to voices conversing above him. His limbs felt thick and heavy like all the energy had been removed and replaced with sand. His brain felt nearly the same, to the point that even thinking seemed a chore. So he sat for a time, and _existed_ , only half-listening to the conversation nearby.

“Are you sure we shouldn’t take him to the hospital? It’s been over twenty-four hours… Keeper Takaya said he’d be up by now,” it was his mother’s voice. Concern froze her usually gentle tones.

“He also said it was just exhaustion, however. Whatever he did in there drained the magic from him, Hiroko. The only thing a doctor would do is watch him sleep. We can do much the same here.”

“I know, but…”

Keeper Takaya… he’d seen him. Before he’d gone into the Moon’s side of the temple. The memory of what happened to him came back slowly, like sand through an hourglass. It was rare that people had such conversations with the Moon. Were it any other occasion, Yuuri would be excited that he’d gotten so close to it. But the answer he’d been given, the faces he’d been shown… he couldn’t help but feel disappointed. He didn’t even know most of the faces, and even if Minako had been recognizable, Minako was _terrifying._ She was a good teacher – she’d taught him some of her dancing techniques when she last came by – but to make the same mistake twice under her watch wasn’t something anybody wanted to do. If she was somehow involved in him being a Chosen…

Unwilling to think about it more, Yuuri turned his focus outward. He twitched his fingers, unsure how he’d ended up in a bed. The last he remembered, the Moon had been leaving. Slowly, he opened his eyes. Yuuri was met with a view he saw every morning, and every night – his ceiling. He blinked a couple of times, doubly confused. His mind was slowly piecing itself together, addled as it had been from sleep. Was he asleep? Had he passed out or something? _Had they said twenty-four hours?_

Yuuri lifted his head to look around, letting out a small grunt of effort as he did so. The motion drew the attention of both of his parents. “Yuuri!” his mother gasped, darting out of the desk chair and crossing the small room to his side. “Yuuri, how are you feeling?”

“What happened?” he asked, voice slurred. Hiroko smiled, unoffended that he’d ignored her question. She simply ran her fingers through his hair and settled his head back against the pillow.

“You passed out in the temple, sweetheart,” Hiroko replied, voice soft, much softer than it had been speaking to his father now that the concern had partially thawed. “Keeper Takaya brought you back, he said you’d probably contacted the Moon and overdone it.”

“Oh,” Yuuri replied. He resisted the urge to rub at his chest. The mark itched slightly. “I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about, Yuuri,” his father informed him. He was leaned against the closet door, against the cursed mirror. “You couldn’t have known how much energy that would take from you. We’re just glad you’re alright.”

Heaving a sigh, Yuuri nodded and closed his eyes again.

“That’s right, just rest. Keeper Takaya said it would take a while for you to get your strength back, so don’t push yourself.” His mother continued running her fingers through his hair, so soothing a motion he could fall asleep if he really wished to.

“’kay,” he replied, the ‘o’ lost in the breathiness of his voice.

“Come downstairs whenever you feel rested,” she told him. After a few more words, both of his parents left the room. Yuuri settled into his usual sleeping position, letting his eyes stray out the window. The Moon was peaking over the horizon, a constant reminder of what he’d been shown.

He didn’t come downstairs until past midnight. Usually, the inn would be bustling at such a time, but it was quiet, interrupted only by the sounds of the television and the soft voices of his family. Yuuri picked at his sleeves as he came down. He’d still been in the jinbae when he woke, so he’d taken the chance to wash up and switch the jinbae for loose sweats. Thankfully, nobody thought to change his clothes while he’d been out.

He entered the living area. His sister and his father sat at the kotatsu. Toshiya was going through the books, while Mari listened to music on her phone. She hummed softly under her breath.  The soft glow of the gem on the back of the device was still bright, so she must not have seen sitting there for long.

“Oh, Yuuri,” his father looked up as he came in, smiling brightly. “Are you feeling better?”

“Yes, sir,” Yuuri replied, coming to sit down under the table. The warmth on his legs felt heavenly, and he sighed, settling his arms on the wood. “Where are all the regulars?”

“Inn’s closed,” Mari grunted, glancing up from her screen. She only had one headphone in now, though he hadn’t seen her take either of them off. “Keeper Takaya said too much magic about can mess with people when they’re as depleted as you were.”

Yuuri’s heart sunk into his stomach. He’d barely had it two days, and the mark was already causing problems. He was pretty sure the last time they’d closed the inn suddenly was the day he was born.

“Yuuri?” His mother’s head popped out of the door to the kitchen, eyes alight. “You’re awake! I’ll heat up a meal for you, you must be starving.”

 _Food._ The very thought made Yuuri ravenous. When was the last time he’d eaten? How long had he even been asleep? He knew he woke up at some point and spoke to his parents, but the conversation was blurry. Had he said anything to give away the mark? Had he mentioned what the Moon had shown him? _Had he mentioned the dog?_

He hoped not. He’d rather not have his family assume he was a zoolingualist. That had to be a one-time deal or something. Maybe the dog had been sent by the Moon. Maybe it wasn’t even a dog at all! Maybe he should stop rambling, even in his head. His counselor told him that would only make it worse.

It wasn’t long before a bowl of rice and kenchin was in front of Yuuri, and he was practically inhaling it as quickly as was socially acceptable. At least food could never let him down.

“So Yuuri,” Toshiya asked once he’d gotten some food down. “I have to ask. What happened in the Temple? All Keeper Takaya told us was that he saw a bright light and ran in only to find you on the floor.”

Yuuri paused, setting his chopsticks carefully back onto his plate. Mari looked up from the newspaper, suddenly interested in the world around her. Yuuri resisted the urge to glare in her direction. The atmosphere shifted turning into something tense and uncomfortable. Frankly, he wasn’t sure what to say. His mouth opened, closed, and opened once more, gaping like a fish. His father interrupted him before he could fully form the first word.

“I don’t want to push, but I worry that something you did in there wasn’t safe. Usual interaction with the Moon restores your energy, it doesn’t deplete it, and especially not to that level. Can you at least assure me you didn’t do anything dangerous, or harmful to you?”

“I…I asked it something?” Yuuri said carefully, each word unsure. Inwardly, however, he was scrambling, searching for anything that wouldn’t flash a sign over his head betraying exactly what he was. “I got an answer, and ummm, I just think I need more practice holding a connection open.”

The urge to ask what his question was was visible on both Mari and his father’s faces. Neither asked, however. His family had never been the type to pry into one another’s business. “Try not to ask something unless you really need to,” his father finally replied. “And you’re young. Control over such things will come.”

“In the meantime,” Hiroko said as she came back into the room. She must’ve finished in the kitchen. “We’re all set up for tomorrow morning, and it’s only midnight. Does anybody want to play a game?”

“As long as it’s not Go,” Mari replied, wrinkling her face at the word. “I’ve broken up too many fights between Shouta and Old Man Handu over that game.”

Toshiya let out a small chuckle. “We still have Tokkaido in the closet, I don’t think that’s come out in a bit.”

 “That’s because it’s for kids,” Mari deadpanned.

“Oh, but I like Tokkaido,” their mother interjected, coming to seat herself at the kotatsu. “We haven’t played it in so long.”

“ _That’s because it’s for kids.”_

They ended up playing Tokkaido, however. Mari liked the game. Lately, she liked to pretend she hated things she actually liked. Yuuri hoped it was a phase, even if he could see right through it. Yuuri enjoyed himself, though he had a feeling in his stomach like something had happened, though he wasn’t entirely sure what.

 

The next morning came at a more usual time than the one before it. Yuuri blinked his way into awareness around noon, probably more due to the amount of sleep he’d had the day before than the fact that he’d suddenly grown a  functioning internal clock. He could distantly hear the sound of movement downstairs, of the Solntse lunch rush hour. Thank the Moon his family had a few Solntsekiy about to help open in the early mornings. He wasn’t sure he could bare waking up early just so they could open at 10. Even so, it wasn’t as if his parents didn’t keep the Solntsekiy in mind when running the inn. The few Solntsekiy that chose to stay at the inn had their breakfast prepared by his mother the night before.

Yuuri reluctantly rolled out of bed and began to get changed, pausing just before he pulled a new shirt over his head. Almost snail-like, he moved in front of the mirror, letting his eyes travel over the mark once more. It was rather pretty when he wasn’t panicking about the existence of it. Like a small version of the moon, so detailed, He’d heard tattoo artists had tried to replicate the Chosen mark before but hadn’t been able to perfectly reproduce either of them, neither Solntse nor Tsuki. He supposed that was the point of the symbol, though. To define the one it marked as special, different.

To mark somebody that could live up to its greatness.

Sighing, Yuuri pulled his shirt over his head, tugging the amulet through so it settled on his chest. He was just heading to the door when a solid knock connected to the wood. “Yuuri!” Mari called. “Your friends are here. They told me to tell you to grab your skating things before you come down.”

“…Okay?” Yuuri replied, moving back towards the closet in confusion. “I’ll be down in a minute.” Why would Yuuko be here? It was a rink day, yes, but usually, they just met at the rink. It seemed like a long distance to go out of the way just to meet him a few hours early. Even so, he grabbed his skating bag and headed downstairs.

Yuuko was waiting for him at the kotatsu, Takeshi a sleepy presence beside her. “Yuuri!” she squealed once he came into the room. “You’ll never guess what happened!”

Yuuri frowned slightly as he sat down, scanning his mind. Did she know about the Temple? But no, he’d have been able to guess that. Plus, it was Yuuko. She was easily excitable, it could be something as simple as her dad coming home. “What?” he asked, not without apprehension.

“My dad came back yesterday!”

Nailed it.

“But that’s not the best part,” Yuuko continued, slamming her hands on the table. “He brought _this!”_ Seemingly from nowhere, Yuuko whipped out a newspaper, shoving it in Yuuri’s face.

Jerking back reflexively, Yuuri adjusted his glasses and narrowed his eyes, looking more closely at the page. Usually, when Yuuko showed in the paper, it was another article on ice-skating, or (occasionally) dancing. Today, it was something very different.

 _Dawn of Another Chosen,_ the headline read. A small gasp slipping through his lips, Yuuri skipped the article itself, jerking straight to the picture in the middle of the page.

All the air he’d just took left his lungs in a _woosh._ A beautiful boy smiled in the center of the picture, hugged to the side of Yakov, the oldest current Chosen. Silver hair framed striking, _breathtaking_ blue eyes. It was the boy from his vision. A second picture lower down the page was a single shot of Viktor, notably without a shirt. Around his left side wrapped the mark of the Sun, soft orange in color.

“Viktor Nikiforov!” Yuuko squealed, hugging the paper to his chest. “He’s the Solntsekiy Chosen. Isn’t he _gorgeous?_ And get this, he’s an ice skater! He’s the guy who won the Junior Championships a few weeks back! It’s like he came out of nowhere! He has to be the luckiest guy alive!”

Yuuri narrowed his eyes, thinking back to when they’d watched the Final. He didn’t remember seeing this guy, though he’d left halfway through the public viewing. Viktor must have been later in the line-up. That or Yuuri was behind. He’d only been skating for about a year at this point, and he’d never been good about following the skaters. He would have to get better at that if he wanted to get better at all.

“I dunno,” Takeshi yawned, a hand coming up to rub his eyes. It looked like Yuuko had invaded and dragged him out of bed again. “It seems like a lot of work, being a Chosen. He won’t even be able to continue as a skater, now.”

“ _What?!”_ Yuuri and Yuuko both yelped, one much louder than the other. Takeshi didn’t seem to notice, simply shrugging.

“I’ve browsed the Book a bit. I was curious, and Keeper Takaya didn’t seem to mind. Apparently, after they’re discovered, the Chosen essentially drop most of their life to train for it. It takes about 50 years, after all, and that’s full-time. Magical precision takes up most of it. They don’t have time for anything else.”

Yuuri’s heart sunk to his feet. He looked at the training bag sitting next to him, scuffed and dirty but _his_. The ice was his. The ice was _his_. There wasn’t any way he was going to drop it, not for anything. He loved the Moon. But he wouldn’t let it take the ice away from him. It was the first thing he was determined not to fail at.

“If he’s willing to give it up, I suppose the Sun chose him for a reason,” Yuuri said, grabbing the bag and climbing to his feet. “Let me go check if it’s okay for us to go to the rink a bit early.”

Yuuko nodded and waved him to do as he pleased, beginning to question Takeshi on what he’d read. Yuuri let the words wash over him, bouncing over his consciousness. He refused to learn about the Chosen. After he got rid of this mark, he wouldn’t be one.

His mother quickly approved the trip to the rink (he had a feeling she still felt he was injured, somehow) and soon all three were on their way. The Ice Castle had never been far from Yuuri’s home, though it was in the opposite direction of the Temple. Yuuri hurried ahead of his friends, drawing giggles from all three as speed walking quickly turned into a foot race. All of them were always eager to feel the ice beneath their feet. Yuuri couldn’t speak for Yuuko or Takeshi, but to him, the ice was home, just like the onsen and the Temple were. He couldn’t give either of those two up, so it made no sense for him to even consider allowing the ice to escape his grasp.

Soon enough, he was gliding over the smooth surface, tracing figures into the ice. Yuuri wasn’t perfect at them, but the rink’s tutor always insisted that they would help him with his skating, so he continued to try. He was, at the very least, much better than when he’d started. _That_ had been a nightmare of its own.

“Yuuri! Takeshi!” Yuuko called after the three had warmed up and drifted to different sides of the rink, less focus on their skating and more relaxation. “I have an idea!”

“What is it?” the two spoke in near unison, gliding closer together.

“Viktor can’t skate anymore, right?” Yuuko began, eyes bright. “But his routines are still _brilliant._ He broke a world record! So why don’t we skate them? Maybe we can learn something?”

“Can we rewatch them first?” Yuuri asked apprehensively. “I think I left before they were shown during the finals.”

Yuuko laughed, waving her hand. “If you want to learn somebody else’s program, Yuuri, that means watching them a thousand times. Luckily the rink has a TV, even if a small one. Its gem is fully charged, though! Takeshi, did your Dad keep the Viewing Gem here as well?”

Takeshi shrugged but nodded. “We keep most of them here, no use putting them at our house. Tutor likes showing them to students.”

“Great!” Yuuko said, darting off to the edge of the rink. “C’mon, you guys!”

The three managed to set up the TV soon enough, though Takeshi’s mother (who was manning the front desk) lent no shortage of help. The rest of the evening was spent rewatching every gem that contained Viktor Nikiforov with a sort of obsession, pausing to try (and fail) techniques. Just as they tended to do every time they got into on the ice, the three collapsed only when the Moon was high in the sky, smiling at them through the windows.

“His jumps…” Yuuko gasped. Takeshi nodded in agreement. They’d both been skating much longer than Yuuri, but not one of them had managed to land anything higher than a double. Yuuri stared at the ceiling, mind wandering once more. There was no way he’d be able to catch up to that in four years. Viktor moved with a grace, with a precision… it was mesmerizing. All he wanted to do was to go turn on the TV and watch the routines once more. The thought of it hurt. Viktor was now sucked into a destiny that he was determined to avoid. He didn’t know Viktor, but having the ice stolen from you like that…

It had to be like death.

 

After they’d finished on the ice, Yuuri borrowed the newspaper from Yuuko, wanting to read the rest of it more thoroughly. He was sure more copies would come into the stores tomorrow (Yuuko’s father had a talent for getting the early versions) but he wasn’t sure he could wait that long. And that was what led him to curling up on his bed that night. He pulled off his locket, setting it next to him and channeling a small amount of energy into making a light.

The locket flashed bright, so much brighter than he could usually get it. Squinting, Yuuri adjusted the energy carefully. He wasn’t sure what was going on with his magic lately.

He bent over the newspaper, determined to think about it later. Smoothing the paper under his fingers, Yuuri started at the headline once more.

_The Dawn of a New Chosen_

_A new year is a harbinger of new developments. As we reach our country’s 10000 th anniversary, we simultaneously reach another landmark in history: a Choosing Year. _

The title and subtitle were followed by the small type typical of newspapers. Yuuri adjusted the glasses on his nose and leaned in.

_It’s been 500 years since the last Chosen have arrived. Satsuki Muramoto, lovingly dubbed Difference Moon, Stephane Labiel and now have a solid place among their peers leading and protecting our society. As always, however, it is time for a fresh cycle. Three days ago the First Full Moon was celebrated throughout the country. While drunken antics are what one would usually expect of their neighbors that night, the Chosen Yakov Feltsman had a different experience with his ice skating student and gold medalist of the last Junior Grand Prix Finals, Viktor Nikiforov._

_“He seemed in pain throughout training that morning,” he gruffly told us during an interview. “Kept rubbing on his side like he’d taken a fall despite no such thing occurring. I thought he was trying to get out of practice. Didn’t hit me what the pain meant, given my own experience with the Choosing was very different.”_

_Viktor’s Chosen mark supposedly began to appear at about 10 in the morning. According to Nikiforov, it wasn’t until closer to noon that it truly began to bother him. “Felt like somebody had slashed their skate against my side,” Nikiforov admitted with a shrug. “I thought maybe I’d fallen strangely at first. It wasn’t until I got off of the ice and started to get changed that I noticed the redness on my skin was forming a pattern. I’ll admit, at first I tried to hide it. Such a thing is a big responsibility. Didn’t last long, though. Yakov sent a medic my direction and it was discovered pretty quickly after that.”_

_When questioned as to the pain in general, Nikiforov laughed. “It went away as soon as the medic looked at it!” he told us. “Yakov says it has something to do with sunlight. I’m just glad I caught it before the Sun went down.”_

_As of now, Nikiforov is on his way to Ophiuchus with Feltsman. They’re expected to arrive in a few days. The process of his training, as well as the destiny of his skating career, are both expected to be decided there. However, with one half of the Chosen Pair discovered, we can only wonder where the second may be. The Book defines that they appear on the same day, no matter if it’s the first day of the year or the last. This means our newest Chosen of the Moon is out there. The question is, where are they?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More of the endless Mirkai notes:  
> Electricity! The people of Mirkai do have power, but not the kind you think. Everything is powered by solar and lunar energy; specifically through gemstones/minerals that have the ability to resonate with either side. Anybody can use the power provided by these gems, provided that they’re not used for magic. For example, ruby and topaz (both Solntse stones- able to hold and disperse solar power) are often used for light. Stones like labradorite and opal are most often used for water fixtures. Each stone can hold a large amount of energy, and generally, the size depends on how often you need to change it. For example, the Yu-topia onsen has a large aquamarine next to their onsen pools that help power the heating system that keeps the water at a comfortable temperature. It’s outside, so it never needs to be switched out. However, the ones inside generally need to be charged once a week or so. Usually, they leave the solar-powered gems and minerals to soak in energy during the early day and charge the lunar-powered ones with their own moonstones. The moonstones hold a ridiculous amount of energy, and charging them takes only a few minutes. In fact, leaving them a while generally won’t affect them. Solntsekiy and Tsukijin charge their lockets often as a ritual of sorts. It makes them feel closer to the moon. The stones themselves are powerful enough to support magic, so a small thing like light (they generally glow all of the time) isn’t nearly enough energy to drain it. If charging the lunar stones is split up between the household, the Katsukis won’t have any problem surviving the day without the energy they’ve used. Another example, Yuuri’s clock shows time just like ours, but it’s run by lunar power through a selenite. He has two and has to switch it out every two weeks or so. Otherwise- no alarm. Yikes. The TV is powered by its own gems, and the Viewing Gems Yuuko mentioned each hold the imagery from a specific event. They can’t be programmed with things like animation, they simply can be used to record the image of something through the mind of a person with the ability to imprint such things upon gems.   
> This isn’t to say the society is primitive. They have many of the capabilities our modern society does but without so much of the waste. Nearly everything is done through magic or solar/lunar energy. Communication is a bit slower, but no society is perfect, lol. The biggest news is often during a Chosen year. Otherwise, Mirkai is often a sleepy country. Too bad it won’t stay that way ~  
> For those of you who find these little tidbits too long, you don’t need to read them, lol. You’ll probably find it in the chapters eventually, or it’ll be implied enough that you’ll be able to figure it out on your own well enough. I just talk a lot.   
> Tokkaido is a Japanese board game. I’m not sure how popular it is, and I’ve never played it. It seems very interesting, however.  
> Satsuki Muramoto is Celestino’s assistant coach in YOI! The joke on her name is more of a Japanese word play than an English one. Though her name is spelled differently, the kanji for “difference” can be said as “sa”. Tsuki is Moon as I’ve already taught ya’ll, so it could be jokingly read as Difference Moon. Canonically, it's simply a joke on how she can be a bit flip-floppy in emotion at times.   
> Anyway, this chapter was more of an information blob than anything, plus we needed to introduce Viktor to little Yuuri. We’ll see another new friend next chapter <3   
> Thank you for reading! I really appreciate any kudos or comments sent my way! If you have any questions or want to see me complain about writing this, you can find me on Tumblr under the same name!


	4. Announcement - Sorry

Hey, I know you’ll hate seeing this chapter as a note just as much as I do, but I’ve got a few things to say.  
First, the fic isn’t on hiatus, and yes, I realize I haven’t posed in a while.  
Why? For those of you following my Tumblr, you’ll have seen the crap shoot that’s been my life lately, but for those of you who haven’t, here’s a short synopsis:  
It started with me getting the flu, like the “people are dying from this” bullshit. Luckily, I didn’t get a deadly variety, but it still took me out of action for a good week. By that point, I was behind in literally all of my classes but one. Yay me! So I spent a while catching up, (aren’t uni classes lovely?) wanting to be comfortably ahead in my work before I continued Lost Moon. Well, life sucks, so I caught up, and my mother wakes me up one day and tells me that our dog is sick. To spare sad details, we spent 3 days at the vet before we found out he had an obstruction in his throat, and there was nothing we could do. So the dog I’ve had since I was seven years old, the sweetest boy in the whole Earth, had to be put down. I ended up not wanting to write for a while, especially when I was getting to the point in the story where Makkachin was being mentioned. It just hurt. So I stopped, caught up on the extra week I spent either at the vet or sleeping because fuck work when you can cry instead, and came back to Lost Moon a few days ago. Except now the fic sorta has a bad taste for me, but I still love it? If that makes sense? So, what I’m doing is rewriting. Not completely new, just, setting a good outline this time, setting up a worldbuilder so that I don’t spam notes again, ect; I won’t be making a new fic altogether, I’ll update all the chapters at once when it’s done. This is just to let you guys know what I’m doing.   
Yes, I realize this sucks, and I can bet it sucks for me a lot more than it sucks for you, but I’ll try to be quick. Once this is all done, I’ll have a world anvil open for you guys to look at more of the world in a more… organized fashion. I’ll update it as the story goes along. Again, I’m so sorry. I’ll be back soon, I hope this doesn’t ruin the fic for you.

**Author's Note:**

> Mirkai – Name for the combined country of the Tsukijin and Solntsekiy.  
> Tsuki – Name for the ancient tribe that worshiped the Moon. Still applies today to reference those of Mirkai who worship the moon rather than the sun. For those of you that don’t know, Tsuki is based off the Japanese月, which means moon or month. It can be read as either “tsuki” or “getsu”.  
> Tsukijin – Word for the people in the ancient tribe. Just how you have people from Germany, and then you have Germans, you have people from Tsuki, and then Tsukijin. Tsukijin directly translates to “moon people” in a way. 月人 is the kanji form.  
> Solntse – Name of the tribe that worshiped the Sun. Still applies today in reference of those who worship the sun rather than the moon. Based off of the Russian word for sun.  
> Solntsekiy – Word for the people in the ancient tribe.  
> I know a whole lot of no Russian as opposed to Japanese, which I speak somewhere between beginner and intermediate in. So any Russian speakers, feel free to correct me on the language things. Those are just a few basic words you should know.  
> As for the tattoo, yes, it is literally the image of the moon in all its wonderful glory.  
> 


End file.
